Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-09-16
CURIOUS AND COSTLY CUSTOM.

People Showered with Gold Dust-How
Mexican Maidens Make stMash.'
Many interesting stories could be told Of
the cascarone balls of the past, but only
one will be mentioned as an instance of
the popularity of this peculiar feature of
the balls. On one occasion, at a ball given
at the residence of Don Jose Abrego, Pete
Serrano, then a muchacho, was on hand
selling cascarones. A gentleman ap-
preached and asked what he would take
for his cascarones.
"One dollar Dozen" was the answer.
''Hov many have your was the next
inquiry.
'sForty dozen"
'tAI right, I'll take them"
Taking the basket he started down the
hall, but had not taken dozen steps when
he was surrounded by number of young
ladies, and in a moment all hands were
diving into the basket coming out with
double handfuls and crashing them on his
head, while he manfully strove to return
a few of the compliments he received In
five minutes not one of the forty dozen
cascarones remained whole.
The modus operandi of cascarone max
ing is very simple, and about as follows;
Into an empty eggshell-whole, except for
an opening in one end just large enough
to remove the original contents-is placed
about teaspoonful of finely chopped pa
per of various bright co1ors and gold tin
sci; then the opening is neatly closed by
FASTING piece of colored paper over it,
and then the cascarone is all ready for use.
In Mexico in the good old times, gold
dust mixed with diamond dust was often
used to fill the egg shells at the swell fan
dangoes given by the old grandees. And
it is done occasionally nowadays by some
of the wealthy old dons who wish to dc
the thing up in style.
Another way of filling the shells was to
use finely perfumed powder, and some
times rare and costly perfumes were used.
| Very often the shells were beautifully
| decorated and sometimes hand painted.
| In Monterey, before the decline of the GUS
| tom, the shells were often colored in fan
i ciful designs, like Easter eggs, and at 9th
| er times tastefully decorated with differ
| emit colors of paper. Chopped paper and
tinsel were usually put in the shells, but
on more than one occasion gold dollar
| pieces were used-one in each shell.
Spiced candy was often used, and some
| times powder and perfumery. House
wives feigiously save the shells of all the
eggs they use ara put them away until
| cascarone season comes around.
In cascarone breaking it is not neces-
sary that one should be acquainted-in
fact, it is a sort of MASKING" proceeding
| all through. The act of breaking a cas-
carone on another's head is to be consid-
! cred a compliment by the recipient, who
| is in honor bound to return it at the first
opportunity. The proper way to break
| them is to crush the shell in the hand
over the PERSONS head, allowing its con-
tents to fall on the head. In the excite.
ment, however, the shell is more fire.
| quently broken on the head, regardless Of
locality or force used, and is oftentimes
suggestive of anything but amiable feel
ing on the part of the bestower. When
the ice is once broken by some adventur
] GUS maiden or plucky man the contagior
soon spreads, and in very short time
everybody is chasing around the room
breaking cascarones Unfortunately and
receiving them from all sides. These
mock battles usually occur between
dances.-Monterey (Cal.) Argus.